The admissions process is designed to assist the student in evaluating and assessing their educational goals by coming to an agreement with the institution to enroll and receive credit for the desired program. All applicants applying to an academic program must go through the institution’s admissions process.
Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. There are six (6) enrollment terms per calendar year. Applicants are urged to apply in a timely manner for the desired enrollment term. For F-1/I-20 applicants, Admissions Portfolio (AP) should be submitted 30 days prior to the term of enrollment to ensure timely processing. F-1 applicants with a “change of status” should submit 60-90 days prior.
Spring (Jan-Apr)
Session 1 (Jan-Feb)
Session 2 (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Aug)
Session 1 (May-Jun)
Session 2 (Jul-Aug)
Fall (Sep-Dec)
Session 1 (Sep-Oct)
Session 2 (Nov-Dec)
1. IABP Membership
OCU’s affordable tuition is made possible by being a sponsored organization of IABP. Only IABP members may apply to OCU. To sign up to be a member of IABP, please visit the membership page. Please provide IABP Membership Number on the OCU Application for Admissions.
2. Submit Application
Applicants must submit an Application for Admissions and required documents. The Office of Admissions to evaluate and determine if applicants meet the admissions criteria for the applied program. The required items are clearly listed on the Application for Admissions. Applicants must review the admissions requirements of the program to which they are applying as certain programs may require additional documentation. Use the checklist to ensure that all required documents are submitted.
The Application for Admissions shall be evaluated upon receipt of the non-refundable application fee. In order to initiate the evaluation process, applicants should include the application fee with their Application for Admissions. All materials must be submitted in English. Application for Admissions should be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the session start date.
3. Evaluation
After the Application for Admissions has been received, the Office of Admissions will evaluate to determine if the applicant is close to meeting the criteria or are missing an element(s). If an item is missing, the Office of Admissions will contact the applicant and request the missing items. If the Application for Admissions remains incomplete for over 30 days, the Application for Admissions will be discarded.
4. Decision
Within 7-10 days of receiving a complete application, one of the following decisions shall be determined:
Denied: If the applicant is not accepted, the Office of Admissions will send a letter to the applicant informing the applicant of the decision, stating why his/her qualifications are deficient. Denial can be appealed.
Accepted: If the applicant is accepted for admission, an acceptance letter will be sent to the applicant along with an enrollment agreement and other admissions documents to formalize the acceptance into the program.
5. Accept/Refuse Admission Offer
If the applicant wishes to refuse the offer of admissions, simply notify the Office of Admissions.
If the applicant wishes to accept the offer of admissions, the applicant will be required to sign and submit the admissions enrollment documents provided upon acceptance.
6. Official Enrollment
Once the admissions enrollment documents are received, applicant will be issued an official NSO package, which includes an official enrollment letter, and student identification number (SID#). The official OCU ID card is issued at New Student Orientations (NSO).
7. Register for Classes
Students are required to register for classes. Team members from the Office of Student Support will assist with this process. Registration requires choosing the appropriate classes for the term.
8. NSO
OCU holds mandatory online New Student Orientations (NSO) to inform students of university policies and answer any questions along the way that may help them adjust into being a new student at OCU. NSO is a requirement for all new students. Students who are unable to attend online NSO shall be administratively withdrawn from the program.